Cover - towel for use in gyms

ABSTRACT

A pair of straps or a single strap attaches to the top of a towel portion. The ends of the straps or single strap extend around a user and are tied together. Each strap end has an enlarged end that is between the user&#39;s legs to act as a sight barrier to block view inside the user&#39;s shorts. If two straps are used, they can be sewn to the towel portion, but a single strap could attach by a releasable fastener so that the strap could stay on the users though the user&#39;s removes the towel. Pockets on the towel body, straps or connections between the straps and towel body can hold personal objects.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 60/837,926, filed Aug. 15, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of exercise accessories andgym equipment, and more particularly to a cover or towel that personsmay use during gym exercise.

2. General Background and State of the Art

Towels are a common sight in gyms. People sit or lie on them when usingexercise benches or mats, or they may use towels to prevent other bodyparts from touching exercise equipment. Likewise, people use towels towipe off perspiration during or after vigorous exercise. Gym etiquetteand hygiene requires such towel use.

A person may wrap a towel around his or her waist instead of carryingthe towel in one's hands. When a person with a towel around his or herwaist sits on equipment, a bench or a mat, the towel, if properlypositioned, allows one to sit or lie on a bench or mat without much ofthe person's skin touching the bench or mat. Unfortunately, usingconventional towels in such ways creates problems and difficulties.Though wrapping a towel around one's waist (or chest for women) securethe towel in the shower or locker room, it will not stay in place andfalls off during exercise.

Persons wearing standard shorts find the shorts riding up their legswhen exercising on a bench. That can lead to exposing the crotch. Inaddition, if a person uses a towel when working on one piece ofequipment, he or she may leave the towel on that equipment when going tothe other equipment. The next person using the first piece will findsomeone else's towel, and the first person will need a new towel. If thetowel belongs to the gym, forgetting one's towel on a piece of equipmentleads to inconvenience. The gym will eventually wash and reuse thetowel. If, however, the gym does not provide towels and people bringtheir own, leaving a towel on equipment can cause it to be lost. Thoughsomeone may return the towel to a lost and found, that may not happen.

Many gym users want to carry items such as keys, wallets, identificationcards, credit cards, cell phones (if allowed in the gym), radios, MP3players or the like in the gym. Some exercise clothes lack pockets tocarry these items. Although one can wear a “fanny” pack or similarcarrier, it is an extra piece of apparel to wear. Conventional gymtowels do not have pockets or pouches for holding personal items. Evenif towels had pockets or pouches, the towels do not necessarily stayattached to the user as discussed above. Therefore, conventional towelare not good for carrying such items.

INVENTION SUMMARY

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gym orexercising towel or cover that solves these problems. Accordingly, it isan object of the present invention to provide a gym or exercising towelor cover that attaches to a user without falling off, that is of amaterial and texture for absorbing moisture, that can hold personalitems and that blocks the view of the user's crotch when the userperforms particular exercises.

Accordingly, the above problems and difficulties are avoided byproviding a gym or exercising towel that has a rectangular length ofmaterial or other shape to cover the user's abdomen and buttocks. Oneside of the material is relatively smooth and the opposite side includesa moisture absorbing material. One end of the towel includes a pair ofties that can be tied together to hold the towel to the user.

The free ends of the ties include enlarged ends that, when tiedtogether, form a drape in front of the wearer when in a sitting or lyingposition to block the view of the user's crotch. The towel portion orone or both ties may have a pocket or pouch for carrying personal items.In one exemplary embodiment, the ties attach permanently to the towelportion, but in another embodiment, the tie is one piece that attachesto the towel portion with Velcro® or other fasteners. That allows theties to stay around the user's waist or hips while the user removes thetowel for wiping his or her face or other body part.

Therefore, it is among the primary objects of the present invention toprovide a novel gym or exercise towel that includes ties that can bewrapped about the girth of the user and releasably knotted to provide asight barrier.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of thegym or exercising towel of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the body of thetowel shown in FIG. 1 as taken through plane 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front fragmentary perspective view illustrating an exemplaryembodiment of the ties of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of thegym or exercising towel of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of the gym or exercisingtowel or cover 10 of the present invention. It includes an elongatedbody or towel portion 11 that may be rectangular, square, oval oranother shape that is large enough to act as a towel and cover. Thosesizes and shapes may vary for different users. The FIG. 1 embodiment hasa curved cutout at the top 19 of the towel portion 11, but it isoptional. Compare towel portion 31 in FIG. 4. For reference purposes,the towel portion has two sides 26 and 27 and a bottom 28.

The upper end of the body 11 includes a pair of ties or straps 12 and 13(FIGS. 1 and 3). The proximal ends of each tie fasten to the towel at 24and 25 respectively. Sewing is the preferred fastening means, but anadhesive or other type of fabric fastening can be used.

Extensions 16 and 17 attach to the upper part of the towel portion 11.They are triangular in the FIG. 1 exemplary embodiment, but they couldbe curved or have other shapes. See curved extensions 36 and 37 in FIG.4, for example. Extensions 16 and 17 attached to the towel portion(FIG. 1) and the respective ties also attach to the extension.

Ties 12 and 13 are long enough to extend about the waist or hips of auser. Again, the ties may be sized for different people. They are longenough so that the distal or free ends of the respective ties can betied together. See FIG. 3. Rather than tying the free ends as per FIG.3, spaced fastener on the straps could attach together.

The free end of each respective tie 12, 13 includes an enlarged end such14, 15. FIGS. 1 and 3. The enlarged ends are substantially broader inwidth than the width of most of each tie 12 and 13. The shape of theenlarged ends is a matter of choice. The enlarged ends can be fastenedonto the end of each tie, or the tie can be cut with an enlarged end anda narrower tie region.

Each extension holds a pocket 18 and 20 for holding personal items. Inthe exemplary embodiment, the pockets are on extensions 16 and 17. Thepockets can hold personal items such as keys, wallets, identificationcards, credit cards, cell phones, radios, MP3 players or the like. Inthe exemplary embodiments, the pockets are formed of fabric, but othermaterial may be acceptable. The pockets may have an enclosed or openbottom. Compare pockets 18 and 20. Moreover, instead of a pocket, thepresent invention could have a bar or ring for attaching keys or similaritems. The pocket attaches to the extensions in the FIG. 1 embodiment,but they could attach to the towel portion 11 or to the ties 12 or 13distal to the extensions.

Towel portion 11 may have two separate materials for its faces. One side21 is relatively smooth and can slide on equipment. The other side 22 isterry cloth or other moisture absorbent material. Though applicantrefers to element 11 as a “towel portion,” the material is notnecessarily towel material. Applicant anticipates that the user wouldposition the towel portion covering the buttocks with surface 21 facingoutward and surface 22 facing the user. The towel portion 11 is sizedsuch that pockets 18 and 20 are positioned on the side or near the frontof the user.

The free ends of ties 12 and 13 tie together in a knot 23. FIG. 3.Enlarged ends 14 and 15 hang between the user's legs in front of his orher crotch. If the user sits or lies on a bench or mat, the ends form asight barrier to the inside of the user's shorts. This sight barrieravoids potential embarrassment especially when someone of the oppositesex is looking.

Towel or cover 30 in the FIG. 4 exemplary embodiment differs from theFIG. 1 embodiment in several ways. Most important, strap ends 32 and 33are a single strap that releasably attaches to the towel portion 21 andextensions 36 and 37. Velcro® or other fasteners are the preferred wayof holding the straps to the towel portion. Note also that the top 29 oftowel portion 31 is flat; the curved portion 19 in FIG. 1 waseliminated.

With the FIG. 4 embodiment, the user can position the towel as he or shedid with the first embodiment. That is, the free or distal ends ofstraps 32 and 33 are tied in a knot, and the enlarged ends 34 and 35hang in the same location. However, if the user wants to wipe anotherpart of the body such as the face or arms, the towel portion 31 detachesfrom the ties and then reattaches.

The previous description of the invention and the exemplary embodimentsis illustrative only. Further, many modifications and changes will occurreadily to those skilled in the art. Therefore, applicants do not intendto limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed.

1. A cover for covering a portion of a person comprising: a) a towelportion sized to cover at least a first portion of the person, the towelportion having first and second faces and two opposite sides; b) atleast one strap attached to the towel portion adjacent the sides andhaving strap ends extending distally from the towel portion, the strapends being sized to extend around the person sufficiently far when thetowel portion is on the person to connect with each other at aconnection location; and c) each strap extending beyond the connectionlocation for covering a second portion of the person.
 2. The cover ofclaim 1 wherein the first and second faces are formed of differentmaterial.
 3. The cover of claim 1 further comprising pocket means on thecover for holding items.
 4. The cover of claim 1 wherein the cover hastwo straps permanently attached to the towel portion.
 5. The cover ofclaim 1 further comprising at least one extension attached to one sideof the towel portion, the at least one strap attached to the extension.6. The cover of claim 5 further comprising pocket means on the cover forholding items, the pocket means attaching to the at least one extension.7. The cover of claim 1 further comprising pocket means on the cover forholding items, the pocket attaching to the at least one strap.
 8. Thecover of claim 1 wherein the at least one strap is generally narrowdistally from the cover and further comprising a wider portion on atleast one of the ends of the strap.
 9. The cover of claim 1 wherein theat least one strap comprises a single strap, the cover furthercomprising fastening means between the strap and the cover portion forreleasably holding the strap to the cover portion.